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ELECTRIC RAILWAY, &c.

No. 573.821. Patented Deo. 22, 1896.

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No. 573,821. Patented Deo. 22, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL W. LEFFLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR TO THE LEFFLER ELECTRO MAGNETIC RAILWAY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY, GLC.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,821, dated December 22, 1896. Application led September 26, 1895. Serial No. 563,716. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL IV. LEFFLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, &c. and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to electric railways of the class shown and described in my prior patents, bearing Nos. 514,561 and 514,718, of date February 14, 1894, and in my pending application, bearing Serial No. 558, 993, filed of date August 12, 1895, entitled Electric railways, and'has for its object to provide certain improvements in said systems with a View of perfecting the construction and operation of the same.

To these ends my invention comprises the novel device and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined iu the claims.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like letters and numerals referring to like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 is a view, partly in side elevation, partly in section, and some parts being broken away, showing one of the car-trucks and also a portion of a magnetic field which ext-ends along the line of travel. Fig. 2 is a diagram view showing the wirin g of the armature-coils and their connections with the commutator. Fig. 3 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in central longitudinal section,showi1ig my improved pole-changer. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line an w' of Fig. 3, looking toward the right. Fig. 5 is a diagram perspective-view showing the Wiring of the commutator. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the controller-coil removed from its core, and Fig. 7 is an end elevation showing. the radial-armed core-piece of the controller with the spiral parts of the pole-pieces and coil thereof removed.

a a represent, respectively, the pavement and the rails of an ordinary surface streef railway. .u I; v

b represents the l'eld-magnets, rising from the common soft-metal base or core b', resting on the bottom of the electroduc t, with the upper faces of said magnets flush with the surface of the pavement. The adjacent members of these field-magnets b are so wound that they will be of opposite polarity, as indicated by and signs on Fig. 1 of the drawings. In the actual construction of the road these field-magnets would preferably be connected up in sections, as set forth and claimed in my said prior patents and pendiu g application; but as nothing is claimed on these features of construction in this application further reference therei o is not deemed necessary.

ln the accompanying drawings only the wheels c and axles c of the car-truck are Shown.

The car-armature here shown is substantially identical with that set forth and claim ed in my said pending application, Serial No. 558,993, and is in like manner formed by a continuous core or bar (Z, having a series of downwardly-projecting pole-pieces d and a series of magnet-coils d2, which are wound around said core d between said pole-pieces d'. The pole-pieces d of the armature are, as shown, spaced apart one-third of the distance between the field-magnets b, and the coils d2 are connected up in interpositioned sets by means of circuit-wires 1, 2, and 3, represented, respectively, by broken, dot-ted, and full lines. The circuit-wires 1, 2, and 3 terminate, respectively, in contact-brushes 1, 2, and 3, which, as will later appear, work over the face of the commutator of the polechanger and are shown as secured to the under surface of the bearing-head g.

As shown, the armature-core d is formed integral with bearing heads or brackets g, by means of which it is supported from the axles c' of the truck in position for cooperation with the field-magnets b. The bearing-heads are provided with seats g', in which work divided boxes g2, which are held in the said seats, with freedom for a slight longitudinal moveto said heads g by means of machine-screws The axles c are provided with loose ment, by means of bars g8, removably secured IOO sleeves or bearing-collars g5, which are firmly held by the split boxes g2. g are coiled cushioning-springs compressed between the split boxes g2 and the inner end walls of the seats g', one at the front and the other at the rear of each of said boxes g2. The sides of the seats g in the brackets g are closed by sliding side pieces gl. In virtue of this construction the cararmature is permitted a slight longitudinal movement with respect to the car-truck and car carried thereby. Hence incase the armature is thrown suddenlyinto the influence of the eld-magnets, thereby causing the armature to start with a jump or sudden impulse, the yielding action of the springs 96 will receive the initial movement of said armature and act as cushions in starting the car. This cushioning action is also rendered effective in stopping the car.

0f the parts of the pole-changer herein shown the commutator is substantially identical with that set forth in my pending application, Serial No. 558,993, while the magnetic controller for driving the same is of novel and improved construction.

The commutator comprises a cylinder k, of insulating material, secured on a shaft k', mounted in depending bearinglugs k2, as shown, formed integral with the forward head g. The cylinder his provided with peripheral metallic contacts 7e3, the diametrically opposite members of which are electrically connected by wires 7a4 to form pairs. 755 are a pair of insulated feed-rings, which are secured on the shaft k by the side of the cylinder 7c. These feed-rings are connected one to each of the cross-wires 1.14, which connect the contacts k3 by means of a pair of wires if, as best shown in Fig. 5. As shown, there are four of these contacts k3, or two pairs, located on quarters of the cylinder k, and the said contacts occupy each one-third of a quadrant, or one-twelfth of the circumference of the cylinder k.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the members of the brushes l, 2, and 3, which constitute pairs, are located on quarters of the cylinder k, and that the proportions and relations of said parts are such that, the commutator being in the position shown and running in the direction indicated by the arrow, the brushes la will be just leaving the contacts k3, the brushes 2f* will be midway between said contacts, while the brushes 3 will have just made contact with said contacts k3. The feed-rings receive current from and deliver current toa pair of brushes k7, engaging one with each of said rings ks and forming part of a supply-circuit leading from a storage battery carried by the car or othersnitable source of supply. (Notshown.)

The novelcommutator-controller herein set forth and claimed, instead of being formed with radial pole-pieces which rotate around an axis positioned transverse to the cars travel, asin the case of my said prior par' "i5 H.; y I.

p' are annular heads, preferably of nonmagnetic metal, secured on the shaft k', one on each side of the core-piece p. I

p2 are spiral pole-pieces, secured at their ends to the non-magnetic heads p and at their central portions, one to the extended end of each radial arm of the core-piece p.

p3 is a magnet-coil formed by multicoils jf of small wires and provided with a suitable insulating-coverin g 193%. This coil p3 is wound about the hub of the core-piece p on a zigzag line, so as t-o pass between the radial arms thereof, thus forming a semicircular winding against the opposite sides of adjacent radial arms. As is evident, in virtue of this winding, adjacent radial arms of the core-piece p, and hence the corresponding adjacent spiral pole-pieces p2, will be energized with opposite polarity when a current is passed through the coil p3. Current is supplied to the coil p3 from a pair of branch wires p4, extending one from each of the insulated feed-rings Z55 and connecting the opposite ends of the wire forming the coil p3. As shown, the pole-piecespg, coil p3, and core p are incased by a cylindrical covering p5 of non-magnetic material, secured to the annular heads p.

Operation: In the operation of my present invention, as well as in my said prior patents and pending application above noted, the car is propelled by the magnetic attraction and repulsion between the field and armature magnets, the polarities of the armature-magnets being changed just as they pass the center of the held-magnets, so as to cause the forces of attraction and repulsion to coperate to propel the car in a common direction. As hitherto noted, the adjacent members of the field-magnets and also the adjacent members of the spiral pole-pieces p2 of the commutator controller are excited constantly with opposite polarities. Hence, as shown in Fig. 1, the said spiral pole-pieces p2 being of greater length than the distance between two adjacent field-magnets the said controller will stand with one negative pole-piece p2 suhject to the attraction of one positive fieldmagnet and one positive pole-piece subject to the attraction of the adjacent negative field-magnet. As the cars move forward the positive pole-piece of the controller will remain subject to the attraction of the negative field-magnet, turning the controller and commutator with an et'ect similar to a screw action until the next adjacent negative pole; piece of the commutator is brought into the inuence of the next forward positive field- IOO IIO

magnet, By this action, under the advancing movement of the car, the controller will be rotated with as even and stead'y an action as though it was operated bya mechanical screw or cam engagement. This spiral commutator-controller is a decided improvement over the radial-armed controller revolving on an axis positioned transverse to the cars travel in that it gives a much more steady and even motion to the commutator, and hence eects the changes of polarities of the armature-magnets in more accurate time.

From a broad point of view the device which I have so far termed a com mutator-controller maybe utilized by slight modifications for various other purposes, Where it is desired to have a body rotated magnetically.

The broad principle involved in this device, termed by me a spiral pole-changer, will be made further apparent by considering several dierent ways in which the said device may be made to operate. For example, with the permanent stationary field, the car, and the spiral magnetic body carried thereby the car might be given an advancing motion by positively causing the rotation of the said magnetic spiral body.

Again, supposing the spiral magnetic body to be mounted in stationary bearings and the field to be mounted for movement, then, by causing the positive rotation of the spiral magnetic body, the field might be caused to move, or, by causing the positive movement of the field, the said spiral magnetic body might be caused to rotate.

The system above illustrated may, with slight alterations, be incorporated into an elevator.

The expression field-magnets, wherever used in a broad sense in the foregoing specification and in the following claims, is intended to include all magnetic devices which may be used to produce a magnetic field.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. The combination with acaror other travcling body, of field-magnets extending along the line of travel, and a rotary magnetic body, carried by said car-body, having one or more spirally-arranged pole-pieces subject to the action of said field, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with the car, or other traveling body, of the field-magnets extending along the line of travel, the armature carried by the car, and the pole-changer, comprising a commutator for alternating the currents through the armature-magnets and a magnetic controller for driving said commutator having one or more spirally-arranged pole-pieces snbect to the magnetic action of said field, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the car or other traveling body, of the field-magnets extendingoalong the line of travel, the non-rotary armature carried by the car, and the rotary i traveling body,

1 mounted for a r'pole-changer on the car, comprising a commutator for alternating the currents through the armature-magnets and the magnetic controller, for said commutator, having its polepieces arranged to form a series of parallel spiral sections which rotate around an axis parallel to the line of the cars tra el and are subject to the magnetic action of said field, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the car or other traveling body, ofthe field-magnets in the line of travel, the adjacent mem bers of which are excited witha constant and opposite polarity, the non-rotating armature on the car, and the rotary pole-changer on the car, comprising a commutator in the connections to said armature-magnets and the magnetic controller, driving said commutator, having its polepieces arranged to form a series of parallel spiral sections,the adjacent members of which pole-pieces are excited with a constant and opposite polarity, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a ca1',or other traveling body, of field-magnets extending along the line of travel, a rotary magnetic body, having radial arms terminating in spiral pole-pieces, and a magnet-coil wound between said radial arms, against the opposite sides of adjacent arms, whereby adjacent members of said spiral pole-pieces will be given opposite polarities, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with the car, or other of the field-magnets in the line of travel, the adjacent members of which are excited with opposite polarity, the non-rotary armature on the car, and the rotary polechanger on the car, comprising a commutator in the connections to said armature-magnets, the magnetic controller, driving said commutator, having radial arms terminating in spiral pole-pieces, and the coil wound between said radial arms against the opposite sides of adjacent arms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with the car or other traveling body, of the field-magnets in the line of travel, the non-rotating armature on the car, and the rotar f pole-changer on the car, comprising a commutator in the connections to said armature-magnets, and the magnetic controller driving said commutator having radial arms terminating in spiral pole-pieces, the coil Wound around said core, and the cylindrical casing of non-magnetic material, incasing said core, spiral pole-pieces and magnetic coil, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the car or other traveling body, of the field-magnets extending along the line of travel, and the armature carried by said car or traveling body, springlimited movement longitudinally of the car for preventing jars and shocks, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the car or other trw'ihfbody, of the field-magnets extend- IOO i ing along/the line of travel, and t-he magnetic axle-boxes, substantially as and for the purarmature, spring-mounted from the axles of poses set forth. IO the car-laruck by means of the bearing-heads In testimony whereof I afx my signature with longitudinal seats, the axle bearings or in presence of two witnesses.

5 boxes held within said seat by means of the PAUL XV. LEFFLER.

removable top bars, and the cushioning- V'tnesses: springs compressed Within said seats, one at E. F. ELMORE,

the front and one at the rear of each of said JAS. F. WILLIAMSON. 

